It’s certainly been a disappointing season for Arsenal, with yesterday’s defeat to Tottenham in the last North London derby at White Hart Lane ensuring the Lilywhites would finish above their arch-rivals for the first time in 22 years.
The defeat for Arsene Wenger’s side also left the Gunners with plenty to do if they’re to ensure a return to the Champions League next season as they currently sit six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, although they do have a game in hand.
Whatever the sequence of events between now and the end of the campaign, Arsenal need to make a statement of intent this summer and it’s time the Gunners boasted a top-class striker in their squad once again- having not had a player of that calibre since before Robin Van Persie jumped ship.
Alexis Sanchez has led the line valiantly this season but having the Chilean in a central position means Arsenal are lacking in other attacking areas an there is also no guarantee that the Gunners will retain the star man’s services during the summer window.
Arsenal will have a lot of things on their to-do list in the summer transfer market but signing a top-class striker should be a priority, as it would significantly improve their chances of competing next term and would also send a major statement of intent to the rest of Europe.
When considering who Arsenal should bring in, one man tops the list: Alexandre Lacazette. After years of dominating Ligue 1 with the French side, the 25-year-old is likely to move on this summer due to Lyon’s failure to compete in recent years.
Lacazette will be eyeing a spot in France’s World Cup squad next summer, which he will struggle to secure, but a move to the Premier League would help his chances and Arsenal seem the perfect fit for a forward who boasts a sensational record of 96 league goals in 200 games with Lyon.
In each of the past three seasons, including the current campaign, Lacazette has broken the 20-goal mark consistently and has established himself as one of the most exciting strikers in European football. Should Arsenal land his services, they’d boast a striker who can be relied up.
With his exceptional pass, incredible dead-ball ability and clinical nature, Lacazette who thrive in the centre of Arsenal’s attack- especially with support from the likes of Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott.
At 25, Arsenal would also get numerous years of service from Lacazette and the French striker is on the verge of entering the prime years of his career, which suggest he could become even better- a frightening thought for defenders across Europe.
Crucially though, strikers are likely to move around heavily this summer as the likes of Alvaro Morata, Romelu Lukaku and Antoine Griezmann are linked with transfers. As those players are likely to cost way more than Arsenal can afford, a swoop for Lacazette would be advisable- especially as they’d likely face a decrease in competition to land the forward.